Mary Catherine

Mary Catherine walks her neighbor’s foster dog in the park

and she smiles as it drags her along behind.

Mary Catherine stops at the bench where I am sitting,

because the dog wants petted by every stranger he sees.

Mary Catherine says she often sees me sitting in our side yard

as she drives by with her father in his big red truck.

Mary Catherine is only a junior in high school, tells me she lives

in the blue house up the street and to wave when I go by.

Mary Catherine tells me her father works in Orangeburg

for the Charleston regional hospital and he works real hard.

Mary Catherine talks about her two little brothers at home

and that her birth mother lives on Bush River Road and is a cop.

Mary Catherine explains she lived with her grandparents for her first seven years

because her father’s second wife did not like her around.

Mary Catherine says her Daddy’s third wife had other children

and she was allowed to come live with them.

Mary Catherine thinks her father is happy with his fourth wife

and she is happy with her, too.

Mary Catherine shares she has a boyfriend who goes to her high school

and works at the same dog rescue shelter she does.

Mary Catherine used to do drugs, but her boyfriend won’t let her

and takes her for walks in the park and they foster dogs and do homework together.

Mary Catherine likes that her boyfriend lives nearby

and he must really love her because he buys her lunch at school.

Mary Catherine says they have shooter training at school and her birth mother gave her tear gas for protection,

and elastic covers to put over her drinks when she goes out in public.

Mary Catherine says she shortened her name;

her friends call her May Cee and I should, too.

Mary Catherine is very naïve and I want to tell her not to trust every old man she meets in the park,

but I don’t want to scare her – so I don’t.

Mary Catherine walks her neighbor’s foster dog in the park

and she smiles as it drags her along behind.

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